Four Reasons Mila is my Chia of Choice and a Recipe for Chocolate Chip Chia (Mila) Bars

Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Main Meal, Quick and Easy, Raw, Six Ingredients or Less, Snack, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian 12 Responses »

Jun 162013

There are four reasons I choose Mila.

Chocolate Chia (Mila) Meal Replacement Bars

Chocolate Chia (Mila) Bars

WHY is it better? A fair question. Over the years, I have been approached with many various products – from skin care, to food, to pills and shakes and this is the only product I have chosen to support.

Quality.

We need to eat Omega 3′s, our bodies can not produce them.

There are so many benefits of Omega 3′s including:

Protection against:
heart disease
stroke
rheumatoid arthritis
inflammatory bowel disease
lupus
autism
depression, bipolar, eating disorders
joint degeneration
asthma
Many other diseases caused by inflammation (Google “Omega 3′s, any condition and medical studies” and you will see if Omega 3′s help that condition)

Chocolate Chip Mila Bars

First let me back up and start with why I choose chia in the first place.

Fish Oil: I do not take fish oil pills because of several discoveries during my research over the years; the first being cancer-causing “fish oil lipid peroxidation“, secondly, contaminants such as PCB’s and mercury may be present and thirdly, the side effects such as gas, bloating, belching and diarrhea. Fish oil is a man made supplement and I prefer to eat mostly whole raw foods because of the multiple benefits that come along with it – fiber, protein, calcium, vitamins and nutrients.

So that leaves me with plant based sources – chia and flax.

Flax: For the same reasons that people are scared of soy, flax is on my “consume less” list – flax is a phytoestrogen. Phytoestrogens can change the hormone balance in the body and there has been some evidence that it can promote the growth of cancer tumors. The jury is still out on whether high amounts of soy and flax can help or hurt, but I eat a fair amount of soy so I choose to limit the amount of flax I eat. Flax can also go rancid very quickly and many of the sources are genetically modified – therefore banned in several countries.

Mila vs other brands Chia: Chia grows best in climates along the equator with nutrient dense soil. Lifemax has connected with several farms in these regions and ensured they only grow organic, non-GMO seed. As each harvested crop comes into the warehouse it is randomly sampled by independent laboratories to ensure that the quality of the seed is the same from scoop to scoop. The various crops are blended together to guaranty the high amounts of fiber, Omega 3′s, protein etc. The seeds are then cleaned in a five step cleaning process housed in a facility that ensures there is no wheat or other contamination and therefore is certified gluten free, and finally the seeds are micro-sliced to ensure maximum absorption without damaging the contents of the seed.

Results from scientific study from the North Carolina Research Institute on Mila vs other brands of chia.
Results from scientific study from North Carolina Research Institute on absorption of micro sliced chia

After finding Mila I asked myself – how DO the other brands clean their chia seeds? Have you ever tried to clean a chia seed? They are about the size of the head of a pin, so the likelihood is high that most brands are not being as thoroughly cleaned for dirt, mold and salmonella.

Chocolate Chia (Mila) Bars

I experienced the difference personally.

For years I ate organic chia until my mom’s neurology nurse practitioner sent me a month supply of Mila for my personal review. After eating it for three weeks I noticed better energy and better digestion and three months later won my battle with depression.
I have also seen the difference in my mom with her Multiple Sclerosis – she has much more energy and it helps keep her weight down, thereby making it easier to get around. There are so many stories I’ve come across from people that have been helped by this food that I can’t ignore the fact that it is different.

Chocolate Chia (Mila) Bars

100% FAIR TRADE – this company gives back. This is one of my most favorite reasons!

The small farmers that are taught to grow this organic seed are located in some of the most impoverished countries in the world. Not only can they consume it for their nutritional benefit but also are given a way to make an income for their families though fair trade standards. Fair trade is so important for any product you consume. These standards ensure ethical working conditions for the farmers, prohibit child labor and ensure sustainable farming practices. This comes at a higher price – but is absolutely worth it.

lifemaxfoundation.org

“Our long-term world vision is to educate families in villages to sustain themselves by teaching them to grow the healthiest whole, raw food. Our access to this extraordinary seed gives us the opportunity to affect the well-being of those around the world. Our goal is not only to change their health but also to create an economical infrastructure for the benefit of future generations.”

Lifemax Foundation

Lifemax gives people a way to not only get the food for free but to create a real asset for themselves and their family

I agree with my friend Mikaele at Green Your Spirit. In today’s economic climate people are definitely looking for additional sources of income and this is a food that everyone from your grandmother to your children to your pets needs in their diet. The reality is that most people are now at least aware of Omega 3′s but are not necessarily consuming what their body needs. What a gift to be able to offer people! I love the fact that I’m creating an asset for my daughter in the future.

The most that can be spent on Mila is $1.57 per serving - preferred customer and distributors get it for less. It is definitely worth it to me to spend the money on this blend. Nutrition is the one thing I will not skimp on for myself and my family. This is why I belong to KyV Farm, a organic, local farm share and why I shop at Native Sun. I am willing to pay for the assurance that the food I’m putting into my body is quality.

To purchase a bag of Mila click here. $1.57 per serving.
If you try Mila and love it, you can become a preferred customer and get the food for $1.43 per serving.
For details on becoming a distributor, email me at chefdawn(at)hotmail.com. $1.29 per serving.

Chocolate Chia (Mila) Meal Replacement Bars

Chocolate Chip Chia (Mila) Meal Replacement Bars

Inspired by Wellness Mama
Serves 4
Vegan, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

8 pitted Medjool dates
Rounded 1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup Mila
3 Tbsp sunflower seed butter (or peanut butter)

Optional
2 Tbsp mini chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life, vegan)
2 Tbsp roasted sunflower seeds

Directions

1. Place dates in a food processor and process into a paste; add salt, Mila and sunflower seed butter; mix by hand. (If needed add up to 1 additional Tbsp sunflower seed butter if mixture is too crumbly. This will adjust calorie content.) Mix in mini chocolate chips and sunflower seeds and form a large ball; press into a square shape and cut into four equal bars.

Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 256.8
Total Fat 14.5 g
Saturated Fat 2.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 5.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 125.3 mg
Potassium 198.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate 25.9 g
Dietary Fiber 8.4 g
Sugars 15.8 g
Protein 7.0 g

Vitamin B-6 1.4 %
Vitamin E 10.2 %
Calcium 9.8 %
Copper 11.1 %
Folate 0.8 %
Iron 11.1 %
Magnesium 11.2 %
Manganese 13.2 %
Niacin 5.6 %
Pantothenic Acid 1.0 %
Phosphorus 12.0 %
Riboflavin 0.6 %
Selenium 0.7 %
Thiamin 0.6 %
Zinc 4.1 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
I hope you enjoy these Chocolate Chip Chia (Mila) Meal Replacement Bars!

Gingery Pepita Energy Bars – a little spicy, a little salty and a little sweet and only around 150 calories!

Dairy Free, Dessert, Favorites, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Lighter Fare, Low Cal, Native Sun Recipe, Quick and Easy, Raw, Six Ingredients or Less, Snack, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian 1 Response »

May 182013

Gingery Pepita Bars – a little spicy, a little salty and a little sweet.

Gingery Pepita Energy Bars

100% delicious.

Gingery Pepita Energy Bars

These are so satisfying and EASY to make – you’ll never spend money on pre-made bars again. I’ve been making tons of variations of these with whatever is on sale. I simply add enough dates, raisins or prunes so that the mixture just stays together and then shape into bites or bars.

Bars are perfect to grab on a busy day when you just won’t have a lot of time to eat and make a great breakfast or snack. The cashews and dates will give you tons of energy, ginger aids in digestion and has anti-inflammatory powers, and pepitas, or pumpkin seeds, are a great source of zinc, protein and iron.

Say no to store bought bars!

Gingery Pepita Energy Bars

Gingery Pepita Energy Bars

Serves 4
Vegan, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe
**Ingredients on sale now at Native Sun Natural Food Market, May 7 – June 6

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped dried dates
1/3 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger (ginger chews)**
1/8 tsp coarse sea salt
2 Tbsp whole pumpkin seeds (pepitas)**

Directions

1. Place all ingredients except whole pumpkin seeds in a food processor and pulse until combined. Mix pepitas in by hand and roll into a ball; press onto parchment paper and form a square; cut into four sections.

Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 156.4
Total Fat 5.8 g
Saturated Fat 1.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 77.6 mg
Potassium 221.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 26.8 g
Dietary Fiber 2.4 g

Sugars 17.3 g
Protein 2.5 g
Vitamin B-6 4.0 %
Vitamin C 0.2 %
Vitamin E 5.4 %
Calcium 1.5 %
Copper 15.5 %
Folate 4.0 %
Iron 5.1 %
Magnesium 9.7 %
Manganese 9.3 %
Niacin 2.8 %
Pantothenic Acid 4.0 %
Phosphorus 8.7 %
Riboflavin 2.4 %
Selenium 4.9 %
Thiamin 2.3 %
Zinc 5.0 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Enjoy my Gingery Pepita Energy Bars!

Blissful Blueberry Bake and Six Disney Food Survival Tips

Articles and Reading, Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert, Egg Free, Native Sun Recipe, Six Ingredients or Less, Snack, Soy Free, Tips, Travel, Vegan, Vegetarian 2 Responses »

Feb 212013

Six Disney Food Survival Tips

Blissful Blueberry Bake

Disney World.

Is it one of your life’s dreams to get there? Or are you not into the lines and crowds?

I would definitely put myself into the latter category. Camping is one of my favorite pastimes. Nature. Solitude. Calm. My life is crazy enough as it is, so going into an environment of man-made chaos is not my cup of tea. Nevertheless, I just returned from a three day Disney adventure because we had family that flew in from Massachusetts that my daughter had never met and she very much enjoyed meeting her cousins…and Mary Poppins.

One of the first and most obvious things to me, of course, was the food choices of many Disney-goers. At the “resort” we stayed at there was a cafeteria where my family and I ate. During one particular breakfast I noticed a sadly obese child that had skittles, some sort of cinnamon bun, a chocolate chip cookie, bacon and a chocolate chip pancake on his plate and was washing that down with his ($17) mug of Coke. The more I looked around, the more I realized it was the same with many of the parents and other children’s plates. Some of the “healthy” choices were Light and Fit yogurt, flavored milks and frosted flakes. If you know anything about the commercial dairy industry and GMO corn, you know this is not actually a healthy choice.

So what is a food conscious person to do? With a little planning you can both save money and stay healthy!

1) Spend a little time to plan ahead. Choose a few recipes to make beforehand, such as this five ingredient black bean burger. **(For those flying in see below.)
2) Find out if you can get a refrigerator in your room or if you will need to get ice each morning.
3) Bring a canvas bag for non-refrigeration items, a large cooler for anything that must stay cold and smaller lunch bag for the day trips.
4) Each morning separate breakfast items out and then pack enough food items for lunch and snacks in the smaller bag. (You will have a much easier time of this with a plant based diet since you won’t need to worry as much about refrigeration.) If you are not going back to the room for dinner, you will need to pack that too.
5) Bring paper plates, napkins and utensils. (If you are flying in you can get these on the park grounds, but taking them along allows you to forgo having to stand in line to obtain only a plate.)
6) Bring some reusable storage containers that you can portion your lunch into and rinse out each night.

Note: For lunch items such as a bean burger, there are a few restaurants that are happy to allow you to use their condiments such as salsa, lettuce, tomato and onion when you tell them you or your child has food allergies – especially if you do purchase something from them such as a side salad or small iced coffee (I packed my own coconut creamer).

**If you are flying in, prior to leaving home, purchase and pack a soft sided cooler. Upon arriving in Orlando find a grocery store such as Publix and stock up on some ice and essentials. You can still make these five ingredient black bean burgers - all you need is a can of beans, mustard, ketchup, some instant oats, salt and pepper and a microwave.

The outcome? With just this little bit of preparation: 1) I saved enough money to cover my daughter’s three day ticket into the park as a Florida resident and 2) we had some really delicious food compared to some of the generic items available. There would have been almost nothing either of us could eat between my plant based diet and my daughter’s food allergies. I found almost no meat/dairy free choices, unless we wanted to get a iceberg lettuce salad or a plastic packaged $7 bowl of melon.

Some of the items I packed included refillable water bottles with filters, fresh fruit, dried fruit, sun butter/peanut butter, whole grain bagel thins, rice cakes, home made bean burgers, an avocado, onion and tomato, carrots and hummus, salsa and organic corn chips, oatmeal, coconut milk creamer, rice milk for my daughter and a few splurge items such as a container of Blissful Blueberry Bake, gluten free fig newtons and GF pretzels.

Looking at the population of people that was in the parks was disheartening. There were so many people that were so overweight they actually had to have motorized wheelchairs to get around. It made me so sad and wishful that I could help them. But as with all things in life we can only Live and Let Live and lead by example. The more of us that band together in these situations and show people that eating and living healthy is possible the better. My hope is that even ONE person saw what we were doing and said you know what, I’m going to do that next time!

Blissful Blueberry Bake

This blueberry bake is a simple and satisfying warm dessert. For those folks where fresh blueberries are not available, frozen would work great too. Whatever you choose, be sure to get a variety that does not contain added sugars or salt -this way you can control the amount that is added to the recipe.

I encourage you to dress this base recipe up in different ways – some ginger or cinnamon would be lovely or the addition of some extra pecans or other nuts. Don’t like agave? Try subbing some 100% maple syrup. Any which way, you can’t go wrong with baked blueberries!

Blissful Blueberry Bake

Serves 4
Vegan, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe
**Items on sale now at Native Sun Natural Foods Market, Feb 7 through Mar 6, 2013

Ingredients

1 pint fresh blueberries**
¼ cup agave nectar, (Madhava)**
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup gluten free granola, (Natures Path)**
1 tsp coconut oil, melted (Nutiva) **

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F; mix blueberries, agave, lemon and salt in a small baking dish; mix granola and coconut oil in a small dish and then spoon over blueberries evenly; cover and bake 60 minutes, until warm and bubbly.

Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 213.6
Total Fat 4.5 g
Saturated Fat 1.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 166.4 mg
Potassium 94.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 42.9 g
Dietary Fiber 4.4 g
Sugars 29.8 g
Protein 2.7 g

Vitamin A 2.0 %
Vitamin B-6 1.9 %
Vitamin C 24.7 %
Vitamin E 5.0 %
Calcium 1.3 %
Copper 3.1 %
Folate 1.6 %
Iron 4.3 %
Magnesium 1.3 %
Manganese 14.2 %
Niacin 1.8 %
Pantothenic Acid 0.9 %
Phosphorus 1.1 %
Riboflavin 3.0 %
Selenium 0.8 %
Thiamin 3.3 %
Zinc 0.8 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Enjoy my Blissful Blueberry Bake and Six Disney Food Survival Tips!

6 Satisfying Soups and a Recap of the 2012 “Know Your Vegetables” Workshop

Dairy Free, Egg Free, Farm Workshop, Favorites, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Lighter Fare, Low Cal, Main Meal, Snack, Vegan, Vegetarian No Responses »

Dec 202012

If the weather outside is frightful – hopefully these six satisfying soups will make your day delightful. Before I take a brief break from blogging until after Christmas, I leave you with some of my personal and fan favorite soups I have featured over the years.

Happy Holidays and Let it snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Florida Fall Harvest Soup

Best Eggplant & Leek Soup Ever

Rustic Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup

Chinese Five Spice Miso Soup with Shitakes and Edamame

Calming Kale, Carrot, Sweet Potato and Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup with Forbidden Rice

______________________________________________________

KyV (Know Your Vegetables) Workshop Recap 12-15-2012

KyV Farm is a local, organic farm in the North Florida area that offers a farm share/CSA. This is when a farm offers a share of their crop for a fee up front. You then get vegetables every week or every other week through the growing season – sharing in both the bounty and the risk with the farmer. There are SO many benefits to a CSA, aside from the obvious of getting a variety of veggies into your diet; it is less expensive, it is a great way to get kids involved with real food, it supports the local economy and a local business, it builds a sense of community in that area and provides a connection with the earth….just to name a few. I am sort of their self-appointed volunteer coordinator and event planner. I write recipes and help plan events because they are so busy between working the field and running the business, that they just don’t have a lot of time to do this sort of thing.

The concept of the Know Your Vegetables workshop came about from the many questions about some of the unique and interesting veggies such as kohlrabi, various greens, bok choy and watermelon radish. We received so many, that we decided to create a workshop to share information on identifying the vegetables, how to clean, store, prep and cook them.

For those of you that would like the recipes for the dishes prepared during the workshop – please click this link: Know Your Veggies 2012 Booklet

Vivian reviewed the prep and storage for each of the vegetables currently being grown at the farm….

….and I made a few recipes – including a bok choy saute, watermelon and carrot top salad, massaged kale and kohlrabi salad, roasted root vegetables and organic veggie broth.

Judging by all the munching and the scarce leftovers at the end, I should say we had great success with these recipes!

Special thanks to everyone that participated,
Heather Swoap for helping chop veggies, set-up and take-down,
Melanie Harris for providing our venue,
and Jaclyn Schweitzer for helping collect the money and check people in.

Theresa’s No Bake Energy Bites and Inspirational Women Series Continues with Andrea Peltier!

Articles and Reading, Dessert, Egg Free, Favorites, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Snack, Vegetarian 3 Responses »

Dec 192012

Happy Holidays! Before I get to the last of my rolled cookie recipes…..(this one posted because of MANY requests)….

….I want to show some love to an amazing lady I met through my Lifemax business – Andrea Peltier. This is my second post in my “inspirational women” series and in this world of negativity and chaos it is so nice to share a little something positive and uplifting about someone. Is there anyone in your life you can do the same for today? Just wait and see how great it makes you feel! Besides – who doesn’t love a good story?

Andrea is the mother of three – in fact, we met up at a convention last October in Orlando and she brought her four week old baby while her husband is deployed overseas. He will not be back until April and will then get to meet his beautiful baby, I was so impressed with her fitting her children into her life and showing them the importance of being self-confident and self-sufficient – these kids will definitely be a step ahead in life.

Andrea is on the right from a recent party.

Here she is getting out and about at a toastmasters event – where she won the event!

I caught up with Andrea again recently at a recent Christmas party, during which we had a white elephant gift exchange and (though my donation was a chia pet) I ended up with the most amazing gift – two handmade ornaments that said “health” and “wealth” with a card that noted how many times the ornaments we choose have meaning to us and are symbols of what we love and desire. SO true. I fell in love with these ornaments and shared one with my dear friend Jodi for being an amazing business partner and friend. (I’ll have to order us another set so we can each have both Jodi!)

Andrea – thank you for inspiring me to take the initiative to get up and out and live life – no excuses!

If you would like to order handmade ornaments from Andrea please contact her at PAndreaE5@gmail.com.

__________________________________________

Now – for these COOKIES!

I know I have now posted several variations of these round cookies so this variation is the last.

This recipe, that originated with my friend Theresa, has been passed around so many times to various business partners because it is SO amazing. Peanut butter, chocolate and coconut make this cookie more like a decadent girl scout Samoa than a healthy energy bite! Everyone that eats these cookies asks where they can find the recipe so I made them for a recent KyV Farm workshop.

I love that I was able to start a business with so many inspirational women AND a food that has 3000mg of plant based Omega3′s and can be used as egg replacer in raw cookies. This is a GREAT way to get lots of Omega 3s into kids without having to get them to swallow a huge pill or eat fish, and I love that they can help with making these.

For those of you that haven’t heard of this amazing food, Mila, and want to know more – click here.

Theresa’s No Bake Energy Bites

Serves about 24
Vegetarian, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup creamy peanut butter (or nut or seed butter of choice)
2/3 cup honey
2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup Mila
3/4 cups mini semi sweet chocolate chips
3 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients; refrigerate 30 minutes; roll into 24 1-inch balls and store in an air tight container.

Nutrition Facts
24 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 217.1
Total Fat 12.2 g
Saturated Fat 2.7 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.8 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 53.1 mg
Potassium 91.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 24.9 g
Dietary Fiber 3.3 g
Sugars 15.3 g
Protein 4.7 g

Vitamin B-6 2.6 %
Vitamin E 5.3 %
Calcium 1.8 %
Folate 2.0 %
Iron 4.0 %
Magnesium 4.3 %
Manganese 4.6 %
Niacin 7.2 %
Phosphorus 5.8 %
Riboflavin 1.2 %
Selenium 1.2 %
Thiamin 2.3 %
Zinc 2.2 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Mini Chocolate Chip Oat Bites and a Giveaway!!

Appetizer, Dessert, Egg Free, Low Cal, Native Sun Recipe, Quick and Easy, Six Ingredients or Less, Snack, Vegetarian 10 Responses »

Dec 122012

CONGRATULATIONS TO SUZANNE HIGBY! You are the winner of the FIVE FREE smoothies, juices, wraps or sandwiches at Native Sun Natural Foods Stores. Please go to the Baymeadows location to pick up your gift cards and mention that you are the winner of the Florida Coastal Cooking Giveaway.

Pin this recipe:

WHO would have ever guessed that five simple ingredients could be so satisfyingly delicious?

WHO would believe there is no baking?

WHO loves a giveaway???

Enter for a chance to win FIVE Native Sun gift cards for a free wrap, sandwich, juice or smoothie.
[Only entries within driving distance of Native Sun Natural Foods Market, 11030 Baymeadows Rd, Jacksonville, FL location please. For those of you not in the area - stay tuned! I'm working on some more fabulous giveaways!]

How to enter:

Get 1 entry: Tell us what your favorite wrap, sandwich, juice or smoothie is – whether you make it at home or buy it at Native Sun
Get a 2nd entry: Like Florida Coastal Cooking on facebook and share the giveaway.
Get a 3rd entry: Like Native Sun Natural Foods Market on facebook and share the giveaway.
And a 4th entry: Pin the giveaway on pinterest.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry.
The winner will be picked at random at 10AM est Saturday, December 15th, 2012.
Gift cards expire 12/31/2012 so act fast!
The winner can pick their 5 winning gift cards up at the baymeadows location – 11030 Baymeadows Rd, Jacksonville, FL.

Happy Holidays to you from Florida Coastal Cooking and Native Sun

Chocolate Chip Oat Bites

Mini Chocolate Chip Oat Bites

Inspired my my friend Theresa’s oatmeal ball recipe.
Makes 18 1 1/2 tsp bites
Vegetarian
Printable Recipe
**Ingredients on sale now at Native Sun Natural Foods Market, Dec 7 – Jan 6

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats**
1/4 cup Earth Balance Coconut peanut butter spread
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp chocolate chips**
1/4 tsp coarse sea salt

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients well and, using a teaspoon, scoop rounded teaspoonfulls and form into ball shapes.

Nutrition Facts
18 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 52.6
Total Fat 2.7 g
Saturated Fat 0.9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.9 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 43.5 mg
Potassium 20.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 6.7 g
Dietary Fiber 0.8 g
Sugars 3.0 g
Protein 1.2 g

Copper 2.8 %
Iron 2.8 %
Magnesium 3.8 %
Manganese 21.4 %
Phosphorus 4.5 %
Thiamin 4.4 %
Zinc 2.3 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Watermelon Radish and Carrot Top Salad

Appetizer, Egg Free, Low Cal, Quick and Easy, Raw, Side Dish, Snack 5 Responses »

Dec 062012

Belonging to KyV’s CSA/Farm Share has opened my eyes.

I never would have seen such a thing as a beautiful watermelon radish with its mint green rind and gorgeous blushing flesh. It’s crisp and has bit of a bite and is so visually pleasing that you just have to eat it raw.

It is showcased in this dish with fresh carrots pulled from the ground the day before I made this dish. I just couldn’t throw away the abundant greens so I decided to incorporate them. KyV’s carrot tops are not bitter and are easily confused with parsley.

The dressing on this salad is VERY minimal. I wanted to keep it super light to really showcase all the flavors. If you like more dressing, feel free to add a vinaigrette or double the oil-free dressing recipe in this post.

Watermelon Radish and Carrot Top Salad

This diet-friendly salad is lightly sweet and super fresh – the colors are reminiscent of summer but by using glorious fall/winter root veggies we get different vitamins and minerals that we wouldn’t get in the summer.

This is one of the top reasons it is so good for you to join a CSA. Diversification. Just like you should diversify your portfolio – getting all these veggies you wouldn’t normally try simply rounds out the nutritional profile of your diet. Think about this – if the only vegetable you eat is iceberg lettuce you are getting very few nutrients and the SAME ones every day. The likely hood that you will be nutrient deficient is extremely high. But say you add in all these various veggies – your body is so much more likely to get all the vitamins and nutrients it needs and recognizes above supplementing with a man made vitamin pill. Food for thought right there, eh?

If you pair this salad with Mila through this holiday season you’ll likely find yourself in January more slim and svelte than BEFORE the holidays!

Mila is an amazing weight loss tool – pictured here – before and after absorbing liquids. Keep you fuller longer and displaces other calorie dense foods.

Watermelon Radish and Carrot Top Salad

Serves 4 to 5, about 1 cup
Vegan, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

3 carrots
1 large watermelon radish
2 bunches green onions
1 bunch carrot tops
Juice 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp coarse sea salt
1 tsp agave (or local honey for non-vegan)

Directions

1. Chop carrots, radish and green onions; place carrot tops into a food processor and pulse until well chopped; add all to a medium bowl.

2. Mix lemon, thyme, salt and agave in a small bowl; pour over chopped vegetables and mix well.

Nutrition Facts (estimated – calculator did not have carrot tops – however, only will add negligible amount of calories.)
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 34.1
Total Fat 0.1 g
Saturated Fat 0.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 188.9 mg
Potassium 239.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 8.2 g
Dietary Fiber 2.1 g

Sugars 4.0 g
Protein 0.6 g
Vitamin A 110.4 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 4.0 %
Vitamin C 17.3 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 1.2 %
Calcium 2.9 %
Copper 1.6 %
Folate 3.1 %
Iron 3.8 %
Magnesium 1.9 %
Manganese 5.4 %
Niacin 2.4 %
Pantothenic Acid 1.4 %
Phosphorus 2.0 %
Riboflavin 1.9 %
Selenium 0.2 %
Thiamin 2.5 %
Zinc 1.1 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Sweet Citrus Barley with Pistachios

Appetizer, Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert, Egg Free, Lighter Fare, Low Cal, Native Sun Recipe, Quick and Easy, Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less, Snack, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian 4 Responses »

Dec 032012

Living in Florida is such a blessing. Not only was I able to take my cream colored Labrador, Tally for a walk yesterday without a jacket on (a fact I can really appreciate from growing up in Massachusetts), but the citrus trees are all heavy with fruit – including my Meyer lemon tree.

When you think of barley or grains you probably thing of savory dishes – so I wanted to change things up and bring sort of a sweet, salty, tangy dish. Your tastebuds will be dancing!

This makes a great side dish, snack, breakfast or even dessert!

Take a bite and you’ll get the crunch of pistachios but the creaminess of the barley slowly cooked over 40 minutes.

And talk about easy! I threw this dish together in under ten minutes – shelling and all.

Tell me what is your favorite thing to do with fresh citrus?

Sweet Citrus Barley with Pistachios

Sweet Citrus Barley and Pistachios

Serves 4, 1/2 cup serving
Vegan Option
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup barley
2 cups water
1 orange or Satsuma
Juice 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp coarse sea salt
2 to 3 Tbsp honey or agave for vegan
1/4 cup shelled pistachios

Directions

1. Rinse barley well in running water; add to small pot with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover; cook 40 minutes; remove from heat cook an additional 10 minutes.

2. Peel orange and blend in Magic Bullet or blender with juice of lemon, salt and honey or agave; mix well and pour over 2 cups of the cooked barley, reserve the remaining barley for another use; spoon barley mixture into large bowl. Chop pistachios and top barley mixture.

Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 184.0
Total Fat 3.8 g
Saturated Fat 0.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.9 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 148.2 mg
Potassium 211.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 36.3 g

Dietary Fiber 4.4 g
Sugars 11.8 g
Protein 3.6 g
Vitamin A 2.0 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 12.3 %
Vitamin C 26.5 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 2.3 %
Calcium 2.8 %
Copper 10.2 %
Folate 6.2 %
Iron 8.0 %
Magnesium 7.5 %
Manganese 15.7 %
Niacin 9.0 %
Pantothenic Acid 2.2 %
Phosphorus 8.6 %
Riboflavin 4.4 %
Selenium 10.7 %
Thiamin 10.5 %
Zinc 5.7 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Chocolate Peppermint Mila Popcorn and Dawn’s Top Ten Reasons to Give Mila as a Holiday Gift!

Dessert, Egg Free, Kid Friendly, Quick and Easy, Six Ingredients or Less, Snack, Tips, Vegetarian 7 Responses »

Nov 212012

Here for the popcorn? Scroll down!

Here are my top 10 reasons why Mila is the best gift for the people on your list.

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1. YOU DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE THE HOUSE to shop.

2. Fiber aids in WEIGHT LOSS and BALANCES BLOOD SUGAR: How many people are struggling with weight loss and never feel full? Mila absorbs ten times its weight in liquids so it expands in your stomach. Many times I will drink Mila with juice before eating a meal and it will cause me to eat less without even trying.

Need a weight loss program? Try the Aztec diet.

See the snapshot below of 1 serving of Mila, then 1 serving of Mila mixed with 1 cup water.

3. Can heal CONSTIPATION ISSUES: Soluble fiber ensures hydration and insoluble fiber gently moves through the system, cleansing and carrying food along.

4. Omega 3′s can help DEPRESSION: Google Omega 3 and medical studies and you will see many studies on how Omega 3s can help. Here is just one example from the University of Maryland. The best thing about Mila is there is 3000 mg of plant based Omega 3s – so we don’t have to worry about mercury contamination like we do in fish. This is a FOOD. Our bodies will naturally recognize it faster than a supplement.

5. Omega 3s and HEARTH HEALTH go hand in hand: High blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease are all covered in this same University of Maryland medical study on Omega 3s.

6. NUTRITION AND ENERGY: Vitamins and Nutrients can give us Energy. The Standard American Diet (or SAD diet) is severely lacking in nutrient content. We try to counteract that by taking vitamin and mineral supplements. But think about it, our bodies recognize food faster than a supplement. It will recognize the vitamin C in an orange faster and more efficiently than a pill form of vitamin C. And our bodies simply need the nutrition. We can’t produce Omega 3s so we must obtain it from food sources.

7. Fights JOINT PAIN and INFLAMATION.

8. Great BRAIN FOOD FOR KIDS- Check out this pediatric study.

9. Is there a pet lover on your list? Mila is PERFECT FOR PETS.

10. FUELS WORKOUTS and keeps us hydrated! See how it absorbs all the liquids in the photo above? That is what keeps us hydrated longer. Loose the GU!

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WHY is Mila different from organic or regular bulk bin chia? See this study from the North Carolina Research Campus.

Hear you can eat chia whole? Watch this study done on the absorption and bio-availability difference of milled chia.

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Share the love and get yours now while the gettin’s good!

The gift that keeps on giving – give your loved one a subscription!

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Try the recipe below and these other delicious Mila recipes.

Chocolate Peppermint Mila Popcorn

Chocolate and Peppermint Mila Popcorn

Party Size
Vegetarian
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 bag natural popcorn, such as Newman’s Own
1 cup chocolate of choice – I used the Bakers Dipping chocolate
1 scoop Mila
Coarse sea salt, to taste
1 candy cane, crushed

Directions

1. Cook popcorn to package directions and remove any un-popped kernels; sprinkle Mila over warm popcorn.

2. Heat chocolate to package directions; pour evenly over popcorn; sprinkle sea salt and candy cane over heated chocolate.

3. Place in refrigerator to cool; break into pieces and place in a bowl or in decorative canisters for gifts.

Vegan Cheesy Broccoli & Rice Dip for a Clean Eating Cocktail Party

Appetizer, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Favorites, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Quick and Easy, Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less, Snack, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian 2 Responses »

Nov 152012

It’s a Clean Eating Cocktail Party at Cara’s Cravings!

Recently my dear friend Cara invited me to join a cocktail party over at her place, www.carascravings.com. Of course I said, absolutely!

She got a bunch of us health food bloggers together and asked us to share a recipe we would serve at a cocktail party where the ingredients are as natural as possible. I wanted to keep with my theme of simple, delicious, gluten free and vegan so I created this a Vegan Cheesy Broccoli Rice Dip that is sure to be a new go-to for parties or pot lucks. It is light yet filling and the flavors shine through with minimal seasoning.

Vegan Cheesy Broccoli & Rice Dip

To see my recipe at the Clean Eating Cocktail Party please visit Caras Cravings!

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